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“I need you to remove your shirt. It will be hard to tape you up if I’m fighting against cotton.” I barely refrain from licking my lips when I see his tan chest and ripped muscles. It’s a delicious sight that never gets old.
“Anna, you really don’t have to do this. The doc will patch me up when I get to the arena,” Aiden says, but not convincingly. He’s hurting and doing his best not to show it.
“He won’t be nearly as gentle as I will, and he’ll probably bench you once he sees this. If you plan to play, which is not advisable, you’ll need to get it to a point where it looks worse than it feels. I barely touched you, and you winced. Imagine if one of the Atlanta players takes a cheap shot tonight. You’ll be out of the game faster than you can blink an eye and leave your team a man down.”
Aiden drops his head. “I don’t know what else to do. We have to win.”
“Atlanta is ranked as 28 out of 32 teams. Sit this one out and let the team play without you. They can handle it, and if you truly plan on retiring, they need to manage their plays with the roster they have. Berkowitz and Johnson are strong centers, with Berkowitz having 31 goals and 58 assists and Johnson with 25 and 38. Their numbers would be higher if they had more time on the ice, but someone I know likes to be the center of attention.”
By the time I’m done talking, Aiden’s mouth is hanging open. He shuts it and swallows hard. “Are you a fan of hockey? Or did you look all that up?”
“Aiden, I’ve been a fan of the Savannah Rockets since I could walk, and I love hockey. Don’t forget that I grew up here, too. I know all of your stats, going back to your college days. I had hoped to surprise you at the game by wearing your jersey today. I got it when I turned 18, and you had just been signed. The logo is old school, but I thought going retro would be fun.”
Aiden lightly touches my cheek. “Would you still wear it today? I know you and Penny won’t be at the game, but just knowing you have my name on your back would mean a lot to me.”
I nod but don’t get a chance to respond because Swank barges through the back door and announces his presence in the most irritating of ways.
“Extra! Extra! Read all about it!” he shouts as he tosses a newspaper in front of us. On the front page, there is a picture of me from yesterday. As I scan the article, I frown at what’s been printed. “That’s right, Savannah Banana, you and I are officially dating! Apparently, since you were sitting with my best friend’s family while wearing my jersey, the rumor mill has started and is in full swing. Are you aware that Aiden and I are now embroiled in a love triangle with Miss Georgia? How cool is that?”
“My name is Anna, and if you apply the word ‘banana’ to my name ever again, I’ll make sure that’s all you’ll be able to eat for the rest of your life.”
“It might be worth it, and I like bananas. Is that what we’re having for breakfast?” Swank retorts.
Penny hops down the stairs, jumping the last three steps. Her hair is matted into a rat’s nest of epic proportions, but she’s happy as a clam. “Yeah, what’s for breakfast? Can I help?”
I grab a spatula from the countertop and hand it to her. “You sure can. I’m in dire need of a pancake flipper!”
She gladly takes it from me and pulls over a chair near the griddle to stand on. “I’ll be the best flipper you’ve ever had!”
We get set to work, making fun shapes with the batter. Aiden and Swank leave the room at the same time as Martha and Reggie enter. They are still in their pajamas, wiping sleep from their eyes.
Yawning, Martha goes straight for the coffee pot and pours two cups. “Normally, I would offer to help, but I need a few minutes to wake up first.”
“Don’t worry about it, Martha. Penny and I have everything under control. You two sit back and relax.”
Reggie takes a mug from his wife and then notices the medical kit on the table. Turning to me with a frown, he asks, “Is someone hurt?”
“Anna patched me up from those hits I took from the Jackals,” Aiden says as he strolls back into the room. “I just got off the phone with Coach Dorn, and he’s agreed to bench me this game. Hopefully, I’ll start in our away game on Monday against the Bangor Barracudas.”
Swank is the only one who doesn’t look happy about this new development. “I tried to talk him out of it. We really need this win.”
I stride over to Swank and place my hands on his shoulders, looking him directly in the eyes. “You’ve got this Swank. Atlanta has a strong offense but a really weak defense. You’ll do fine if you can keep the puck in their defensive zone. Watch out for their right-winger, Zimmerman, though. He’s got a powerful long shot and likes to take them as soon as he crosses the center line. When he’s against the boards, his game is garbage, and he has trouble controlling the puck.”
Swank immediately drops down to one knee in front of me and bats his long lashes, “Will you please marry me, Anna? Any man would be a fool to let you go. You’re beautiful, sassy, know hockey, and most importantly, you can cook!”
Aiden pushes him over, and Swank and I both laugh. Swank manages to get to his feet and beams a megawatt smile at me. “I take it that’s a ‘No?’”
Waving him off, I go back to flipping pancakes with Penny. Breakfast goes by quickly, and while I’m cleaning up, Aiden heads upstairs to get changed. When he comes back down, he’s wearing dark-washed blue jeans and a Rockets T-shirt as opposed to the suit he typically dons on game days. It’s a good look on him.
“Are you ready to go?” Swank asks Aiden.
I thought Aiden planned to stay home, and I’m a little confused by the sudden change. “Did you change your mind about playing today?”
Aiden shakes his head, “No, but I have to go in to get checked out by the team doctors. They want to look at the injury before determining whether or not I’ll be able to play on Monday. I also have to give Swank a ride back to his car. Scott and Jack will be here in five minutes to take us. By the way, Scott updated me on David’s status. David is doing fine and resting comfortably. He’s a little loopy with the pain meds, though, and has repeatedly mentioned how ‘hot’ you are. It appears Swank and I aren’t the only ones with fans around here.”
Swank shrugs, “He’s not wrong. Even I’m a little gobsmacked by Anna’s ‘hot’ factor, and I only date supermodels. I’d be willing to change my ways for her if I thought I stood half a chance.”
Aiden rolls his eyes at his friend, “You can start by not asking a woman to marry you because she can cook and loves hockey.”
